4.  The applicant was born in 1942 and lives in Budapest.
5.  On 25 June 1993 the Social Security Directorate of Budapest and Pest County requested that an order for payment be issued against the applicant on account of her overdue social security contributions.
6.  On 30 July 1993 the applicant filed with the Directorate a court action contesting the order and, simultaneously, claiming damages. However, the Directorate only forwarded the action to the Pest Central District Court on 21 March 1995.
7.  Hearings took place on 25 April and 27 November 1996. On that latter date the applicant failed to appear and the proceedings had to be stayed. On 27 February 1997 the applicant requested that the proceedings be resumed and, on 28 April 1997, that her claim for damages be transferred to the competent court. The principal proceedings resumed and a hearing was held on 27 January 1998. On 15 April 1999 the respondent was released from the case and replaced by the Tax Authority’s competent Contributions Directorate. The court held a further hearing on 15 September 1999. On 7 December 1999 the District Court dismissed the applicant’s action and upheld the Directorate’s order for payment.
8.  On appeal, the Budapest Regional Court held two hearings and obtained the opinion of an expert accountant. On 22 May 2001 it gave judgment, reducing the amount payable by the applicant. The decision was served on the applicant on 20 June 2001.
9.  Meanwhile, in the proceedings for damages, the applicant’s claims were transferred to the competent bench of the Budapest Regional Court on 26 August 1997. On 15 October 1997 she extended her claims to include another respondent. After an exchange of observations between the parties, hearings took place on 9 April and 1 October 1998 and 4 March 1999. During this period, the applicant was repeatedly instructed to submit evidence to support her claims. On 22 April 1999 she filed a medical certificate justifying that, for health reasons, she had not been able to do so earlier. On 30 April 1999 the court appointed a medical expert.
10.  At the hearing on 1 July 1999 the applicant did not appear. Following an exchange of observations concerning the opinion of the expert and the submission of the applicant’s amended claims, another hearing took place on 2 November 1999. The applicant again changed her claims on 8 November 1999 and 21 March 2000, extending her action to include yet another respondent. Further hearings took place on 28 March and 19 September 2000. On 30 November 2000 the court suspended the proceedings pending the termination of the case concerning the order for payment.
11.  The proceedings resumed on 2 October 2001. Subsequently, the applicant extended her action to include a fourth respondent. The court held a hearing on 21 March 2002 and invited to applicant to specify her claims. She did so on 10 September 2002. Subsequently, she extended her action to include a fifth respondent. Another hearing took place on 3 October 2002. On 3 February 2003 the Regional Court gave judgment, finding in part for the applicant.
12.  On 2 October 2003 the Budapest Court of Appeal upheld this decision and on 26 February 2004 the Supreme Court rejected the applicant’s petition for review.